This Story is About Love
by QofNaboo
Summary: NOW W/Conclusion! The final, let me emphasize: FINAL!!! addition to the Obi Meets His Match series. Very Moulin Rouge. If ya love da movie as I do (not to mention the other Obi/Cadi stories) you'll love this one.
1. This Story is About Love

Disclaimer: I own nada, except for myself. Well, not even, I'm a minor! You know the drill.   
  
Dedication: Dedicated to Padawan Sabe and Padme Skywalker, they convinced to write another.   
  
Storyline: The FINAL addition to the Obi/Cadi series. F-I-N-A-L! Do not ask for more! I love the stories too but I'd rather they go out with some quality than just become mindless, which they would have after a while. Don't hate me. Oh, and this isn't done. I'm still finishing up the end but didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer.   
  
This story…is about…l-love. The woman I…love-d…is…   
  
Dead.   
  
*1*   
Steamy was the word.   
  
Cadi lifted her drowsy eyelids back to her surroundings. It was midnight, pitch black except for the cloudy white steam that enveloped them, the moons were full and cast playful cerulean shadows across everything. Beads of condensation coated what of her body wasn't immersed in the pool of water in which they lay. The clouds of steam wafted around them in swirling dances. In a word: it was beautiful.   
  
"How did you ever find this place?" she breathed in wonderment. They were on Yavin 4, in the twilight season. It was really remarkable; the jungles were never completely left without light, but instead were washed over in the reflections of the surrounding moons.   
  
"You know me, I've a knack for finding remote planets," Obi's sweet voice came from behind her as his fingers laced over her waist.   
  
"Mm," she replied thoughtfully as she leaned her head back to rest against his heart.   
  
"What?" he asked with a slight laugh, obviously sensing her uneasiness.   
  
Cadi shook the thought away, "Nothing, I'm just waiting for Anakin to come storming in and pull you away from me," her hand absently came up to touch his face. Beneath her fingers she felt the coarse bristles of his new beard. He'd grown it after one of Anakin's punky friends has asked him for the chemistry homework a few weeks ago, thinking he was still a Padawan. She laughed quietly as she remembered how he had fumed about it for days, a man of 35 still being mistaken for a teenager! "Where is the kid?" she asked after a silent moment.   
  
"He went off on his own to visit Padme," he replied distantly.   
  
"The Nubian Senator?" Cadi's memory was vague.   
  
"Yes. They've become…fond of each other," there was a tinge of humor in his voice.   
  
"Awww, little Ani is growing up," she said, reminiscing, "makes me feel old."   
  
"Makes *you* feel old?" he chuckled softly, then added, "they remind me of us."   
  
"In what way?"   
  
"Oh, little things," his eyes unfocused as he distantly traced the curves of her body, "the way he falls all over himself when he sees her, or the way she carries a stiff upper lip when they're in public, but once in a while slips him flirty glances…"   
  
"Ah yes, my infamous barrier you never stopped complaining about," she pinched him playfully.   
  
"Yes, well, now it's Anakin's turn to be driven crazy," he pinched back, "He's already determined to marry the girl."   
  
"Marriage? Isn't that against the Code?" Cadi asked, already knowing the answer.   
  
"Cadi, *relationships* are against the Code," he reminded, "but it happens anyway," he added coyly. She was silent for a while.   
  
"We never got married," she commented at last.   
  
"You don't want to get married," he said, a bit indignantly, "You've said a thousand times 'if you want to fuck up a good romance-'"   
  
"Get married," she finished for him, "I know, but you never even tried to ask," she teased.   
  
"Enough Council members know about us already, have you ever thought about how much outside attention a proposal would bring us?"   
  
"Hush, let's not talk of what's outside," she drew herself closer to him, "now it's just…us."   
  
"Now that sounds appetizing," he tilted her chin for a tender kiss.   
  
"This trip was one of your better ideas, fuzz head," she complimented.   
  
"My pleasure," he grinned contentedly, "I figured you would need a nice getaway before you go on that disgusting mission the Council gave you," he fought a sneer.   
  
"You're still mad about that, huh?" she cupped his face in her hand as she watched his eyes meld in conflict. The other day the Council had told her she was going to Nar Shardaa in the next week; she'd be posing as a concubine in order to get cozy with the head of the Hutts.   
  
"You would think there was a less degrading way of getting information from someone," he said bitterly. The Council's order had infuriated him, but Obi had silenced his anger and instead whisked Cadi away to this spot for a few days of quiet time together…   
  
That had been two days ago, and already they would be leaving in the morning.   
  
"Obi-Wan," Cadi said seriously, "maybe we should put our relationship on hold while I'm there-"   
  
"No," he said immediately. She knew it was not an answer to argue with.   
  
"Okay," she conceded softly, "but promise me you won't get jealous." Her eyes glowed in the twilight, and for a long moment he just held her gaze, taking in the fractional changes in her lustrous violet irises. How could she be this brave? How could she let the Council use her like this?   
  
But, Obi-Wan guessed, that was why he loved her.   
  
"I promise," he whispered at last. There was a glimpse of relief in her eyes as she resumed her relaxed state against him. Obi laid his head back against the stone that surrounded the hot spring; he had a bad feeling about this.   
  
***   
  
"I know you were on a break with Padme, Anakin," Obi said, his voice sounding worn, "this mission requires your attention now."   
  
The young man didn't look happy, but he gave a reflexive "Yes, Master," anyway. Obi watched as his Padawan eased down into the copilot's chair, distant thoughts of Amidala already clouding his eyes. "So where are we going?" he asked at last.   
  
"Nar Shadaa," Obi stated simply, not in the mood to explain.   
  
"The Hutts? What in the universe for?" the boy persisted, completely oblivious.   
  
"We're serving as backup for a fellow Jedi," Obi wasn't in the mood to get into the 'dating' argument either.   
  
"Wait a second," the Padawan's eyes narrowed in obscure memory, "isn't this Cadi's mission?"   
  
"She is the Jedi for whom we are providing backup," Obi allowed.   
  
Anakin said nothing, but his Master could feel the irritated thoughts pinching at the edges of the boy's mind.   
  
"What?" he inquired.   
  
"It was my understanding she was going on a solo mission," Anakin snorted.   
  
"I volunteered our services," Obi kept an authoritative calm in his voice.   
  
"Nice of you to speak for me," he sneered.   
  
"It is my duty as your Master," he replied easily, throwing a "don't mess with me" glance at him. Anakin averted his eyes, instead gazing out the view port into empty space. Obi sat back in the pilot's seat, slowly unclenching his teeth.   
  
"So, if sometime in the future, Force forbid, *Padme* is in trouble," Anakin began after a while, keeping his head turned away, "will I have the option of 'volunteering our services?'"   
  
Obi thought admirably. "Always in motion is the future," was all he said. He got no physical response, only the sensation of those irritating thoughts that were pinching at his Padawan before now sinking their teeth in.   
  
***   
  
If she ever saw a Hutt again, it would be too soon. Cadi had high tolerance, but not this high. And she'd only been here for a week. She sighed as she placed the dark purple veil over her face. With a final begrudging look in the mirror, she walked into the office…   
  
"//So you do not want money?//" the vile creature asked in disbelief.   
  
"No," Cadi kept her voice smooth, beguiling.   
  
"//I am no fool//" the glob rumbled, "//You must want something.//"   
  
"That is correct," she mock-absently toyed with the buttons of her blouse.   
  
"//Well then?//" it lifted a nonexistent eyebrow.   
  
"I want-" she pretended to think, "I want to be on the inside," she whispered.   
  
"//Explain//" it seemed intrigued, which was good.   
  
"I want to see the inner workings of your business. The money- the power- it's so-" she daintily traced her lips with her tongue, "enticing."   
  
"//I see//" it said curiously, "//I will see what I can arrange//"   
  
"No!" she brought her hand up to her head, as if to faint. She increased her breathing rate, her chest rising and falling beneath the sheer blouse. She noticed its eyes wandering; it was going for it… "Do not torment me so!"   
  
"//Well…//" it blinked slowly, its lust getting the better of it.   
  
"If you let me in, I am yours," she teased. she thought.   
  
"//At all times?//" the pupils became slits.   
  
"At all times," she cooed.   
  
"//Deal, what harm could you possibly be?//" the eyes flicked to the guards behind her. "//Take her to my personal suite//" it commanded with the wave of a stubby hand. Two more slugs oozed up to escort her. Cadi allowed the gangster a captivating smile and sashayed out of the room.   
  
The bed was gigantic, to be expected from a race that carried such…stature. Overall the room was decorated with intentionally expensive-looking furniture, a few dim lights and a couple tanks filled with small amphibians/soon to be snacks.   
  
Slowly she began to change. Unaccustomed to much of anything besides her Jedi robes, Cadi found the scanty, black lace negligee a bit awkward. But she could cope. She wrapped the sheer black netted over robe around her tightly, making sure she left it tantalizingly open at just the right angle. With nothing to do but wait, she curiously walked around the room to familiarize herself with it.   
  
***   
  
They were almost to the top. Obi-Wan put a little extra effort into his next tug on the rope they were climbing. It had taken a while to land some place inconspicuous, and since their Jedi mind tricks were useless on Hutts, Obi and Anakin had had to do things the hard way. In other words, instead of strolling into the building after a simple wave of the hand to the doorman, they had to climb their way up the skyscraper from the outside.   
  
"This is such fun Master! Thank you so much for letting me tag along!" Anakin called sardonically from behind and under him.   
  
"I'll make a mental note that you prefer more trying missions, Ani," he called back with a grunt as he continued climbing.   
  
Praise the Force the head of the Hutts' suite was only on the 70th floor. At last they'd made it. Obi planted himself as firmly as possible on the balcony ledge and pulled his Padawan to his feet. Carefully he eased himself closer to the transparisteel for a glance into the room. It appeared empty except for a figure he recognized as Cadi.   
  
"Stay here, I'll call you if I need you," he commanded softly to Anakin as he slipped through the glass doors.   
  
"At least I can eavesdrop," the Padawan replied to nobody.   
  
his Master sent sternly. Anakin huffed and leaned his head against the wall, he'd just climbed seventy stories to stand here and wait.   
  
For a brief moment Obi's breath was taken away. It was, after all, the most salacious outfit he'd ever seen her in. Cadi was clad in sheer black lace from plunging neckline to toe, on her feet were black leather strapped heels that made her taller than he was. The fuzzy-hemmed negligee barely made her mid-thigh, the mesh over robe trailing behind her as she walked about the room.   
  
"Remind me to buy you some lingerie when this mission is over," he said cleverly. He watched her spin around as she recognized his voice.   
  
"What are you doing here?" she gasped in surprise.   
  
"Anakin and I volunteered to back you up," he gave her a discreet kiss.   
  
"I'm sure Anakin had a big say in the decision," she said warily, "you shouldn't have come."   
  
"Is it not my duty to aid my fellow Jedi in guarding peace and justice in the universe?" he asked innocently.   
  
"Very cute, Obi-Wan," she chided, "you promised you wouldn't get jealous."   
  
"I swear to you I have come in all diplomacy," he gave a playful bow, "just know that my Padawan and I are at your service if needed, M'Lady," he threw her a dashing smile. Cadi sighed.   
  
"Fine, but you shouldn't be here, he's bound to arrive any minute-"   
  
"I shall make myself scarce when the time comes," he soothed, "for now, let us pretend that we are not Jedi."   
  
Cadi raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And what are we?"   
  
"We are lovers," he stood behind her and kissed her neck, "no- scratch that- we are newlyweds-"   
  
"This is no time for games, Fuzzy-Wan," she warned.   
  
"Yes, that sounds good- newlyweds," he continued, "honeymooners in fact! We are on our honeymoon in a decadent suite…" he began to sway with her playfully.   
  
"Snack slugs included?" she teased, throwing a disgusted glance at the tanks around them.   
  
"And let us pretend," he kept going, "that we are free of the burdens of the universe. My new bride's greatest concern is to please her husband, and mine in turn is to please her…"   
  
"I think I see where this is going," she said dryly. She untangled his arms from her waist, allowing herself a giggle, "Obi, I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I've got work to do."   
  
Obi started to answer, but he caught something in that instant. A falter in her sense, a slight dimming flicker in her eyes… "Cadi, are you all right?" he asked, his brow furrowing with sudden alarm.   
  
"What? I'm fine, Obi," she said with slight confusion, "don't worry about me," she offered him a soft smile.   
  
"I just- I sensed something-" he attempted to explain.   
  
"I'm a little tired, that's all," she assured him. Then broke into a laugh, "Who knew being a whore took so much energy?" she said, somewhat bitterly.   
  
"Well…" he gazed at her harder, trying to figure out what that flicker had been…   
  
"Obi!" she said sternly, "You worry too much. I'm okay, I swear, now go!" she gave him a shove toward the balcony.   
  
No sooner had he stumbled and caught his balance when the door slid open and her new 'buddy' slithered in. Obi thought fast and dove beneath an ornate chest; he was not seen. Cadi spun around early enough to look inconspicuous, her set-in-stone Jedi face disguising her nervousness.   
  
"I've been waiting for you," she cooed in a voice Obi barely recognized.   
  
"So I see," the Hutt replied shortly. He snapped his pudgy fingers and two more of them slithered in, heavy chains in their arms. Cadi risked a nervous glance at Obi's table, her violet eyes screaming "Get out!" He nodded slightly and started to get to his feet. But he paused as he realized- those chains were for her. Cadi had come to the same conclusion of late; the two guards were already securing her wrists.   
  
"I assure you these won't be necessary," she said, a twinge of her true self back in her voice.   
  
"//Perhaps//" the creature replied warily, "//You are mine now, are you not?//" Obi cringed.   
  
"As we agreed," she answered cautiously.   
  
"//Then your freedom is entrusted to me//" he stated matter-of-factly.   
  
"I understand," she said slowly, trying to ignore Obi's frantic look, "but I ask that I remain free of constraint- to allow…flexibility," she fluttered her eyelashes. The Hutt regarded her in tense silence for a moment, its eyes narrowed.   
  
"//If I were you,//" he answered at last, "//I'd be more concerned about keeping myself free of the Rancor's jaws//"   
  
"I understand," Cadi knew opposing that would be hazardous.   
  
"//Good- shall we move on then?//" he slithered towards her as the guards made their way out. Cadi took an instinctive step backwards, feeling along the edge of Obi's table as she went. She pretended to knock something over, and as she bent down to get it she locked eyes with the hiding Obi-Wan.   
  
she sent like a shrill alarm in his head. He shook his head zealously; he wasn't going to leave her now, not in this situation.   
  
she sent forcefully,   
  
I won't be found he replied sharply,   
  
she sent more gently this time I don't want you to see she threw him a desperate glance as the oozing slug ran his hand down her arm.   
  
he insisted.   
  
but the thought was cut short as she was grabbed roughly and tossed down onto the bed. Obi clenched his teeth and fingered his lightsaber; she was right- he couldn't sit still for this. As the bulbous alien loomed before her, she tilted her head at the most inconspicuous angle manageable and mouthed the word "Go" to him.   
  
Rising to a crouch slowly, Obi crept back out onto the balcony without making a sound. With a last distraught glance at what was unfolding inside, he edged himself around the ledge of the balcony.   
  
"I take it things went smoothly," Anakin's smart mouth greeted him.   
  
"To a certain extent," Obi-Wan replied calmly, immunized from the boy's comments by now.   
  
"So now what?"   
  
"Now we go back to the hotel," he began to prepare for the descent.   
  
"And?"   
  
"And," Obi said with a sigh, "we wait."   
  
Anakin's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. 


	2. That First, Cold Stab of Jealousy

*2*   
  
Cadi had managed to sneak out of the Hutt's suite without any problems. Now she slipped through the door into the darkened hotel room, wanting nothing more than a hot bath and sleep as peacefully as she could manage.   
  
"Hey," a gentle whisper and an even gentler hand took her wrist. Obi-Wan stood up and embraced her. At first she went rigid, but she could not resist melting into his comforting warmth. "How was it?" he asked softly.   
  
She sighed, an answer that explained it much better than any words could have. He soothingly rubbed her back and kissed her temples. "I've never been with anyone else but you," she whispered at last, shuddering a bit.   
  
"How much longer do you think it's going to take?" he tried not to think about what she'd said.   
  
"Judging from that, maybe another few days," she sniffled sharply, another shiver coursing through her. Obi realized she felt unusually cold, even frail.   
  
"Cadi, is there something you're not telling me?" he asked cautiously.   
  
"I'm fine," she replied, "I'm just not feeling that great right now." She freed herself of him, making her way to the refresher, "I need a hot shower that's all."   
  
"Okay," Obi gave up and sat down on his bed. For a moment he eyed his Padawan, sleeping like a log in the second bed. Then he undressed and began to fiddle with the controls for the electric blanket; he figured a heated bed might cure Cadi of her shivers.   
  
He waited for a long time, but she did not come. Growing nervous, Obi got up to see what was going on. He padded across the room to the 'fresher. The water was still running, and he sensed that she was conscious. Tentatively he pulled back the glass door of the shower.   
  
Now Cadi had always been pale, but as he gazed upon the figure huddling in the corner, hugging her knees tightly, her skin seemed almost transparent.   
  
"Cadi, what's wrong?" he sat down on the rim of the tub, checking the temperature of the water. It rained down upon her, weighing down her silken black hair and leaving droplets from head to toe.   
  
"I'm okay," she assured him, her voice hoarse. Again he caught that minimal flicker, that dimming of her bioluminescent eyes. Something was going on inside her, and she wasn't telling him about it. He wondered if she even realized it herself.   
  
"You've been in here a long time-"   
  
"I can't understand that kind of love- if that's even what it deserves to be called," she said, staring into space. "It was so crude- so- animalistic," she went on.   
  
"I hate the fact that you have to go through this," he admitted openly.   
  
"It's like there wasn't supposed to be any emotion involved," her eyes narrowed in concentration, "but our love- it's always as mental as it is physical- maybe since he wasn't a Jedi-"   
  
"No," he corrected gently, "non-Force sensitive couples usually have a mental connection as well. He wanted you for one reason, and one reason only," he added bitterly, tasting the jealousy of his words. To distract himself he shut the water off and helped her up, wrapping their blanket around her soaking form.   
  
"I just don't understand," she said again, her eyes finding his. She watched intently as they melded from his usual crystalline blue into a stormy gray. She leaned against him and took in the manly yet babyish smell she found so much comfort in. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed they would be sharing.   
  
"Cadi," he tried again, "is there something you need to tell me?"   
  
"Yes," she replied, "I need to tell you to relax, I love you and get some sleep," she eased herself down into the warm mattress.   
  
Sighing, Obi got comfortable beside her. She was keeping something from him, something he couldn't sense enough of to discover on his own. He could only hope it wasn't serious.   
  
***   
  
Well it didn't take just another few days for Cadi to gain the necessary level of access into the working of the Hutts' operations. It took a full week. Days passed the same way as the first. Cadi would sneak out from the Hutt's suite as soon as it was asleep, meeting up with Obi and Anakin at the hotel room. Anakin didn't see much of her, he was always asleep by the time she returned, and gone in the morning when he woke.   
  
But one night came, and Cadi did not come back to the hotel. Obi stayed up all night waiting for her. He couldn't call her on the comlink for danger of bringing the Hutt's awareness to an outside party. And so all he could do was wait.   
  
Cadi, meanwhile, had been found unconscious in the Hutt's suite, who begrudgingly sought her medical attention. She came to early enough for any diagnosis to be made, so she claimed food poisoning. The Hutt allowed her the day to recover, under the condition that she return to him that evening.   
  
***   
  
Cadi had expected Anakin to be awake, but she hadn't expected him to be right at the door.   
  
"Hi Master Cadi," he greeted nonchalantly, even before the door finished opening.   
  
"Ani!" she should have been used to his early perceptions by now, but it still surprised her every time, "Good to see you," she said honestly.   
  
"Master's in the 'fresher," he told her plainly, plunking down on the bed.   
  
"Oh, that's alright," she replied half-heartedly, "I think I'll just go straight to bed."   
  
No sooner had she slipped behind the changing doors did Obi-Wan emerge from the 'fresher, toweling off his somewhat longish hair and a second one wrapped around his waist.   
  
"What's up? I heard voices," he asked Anakin.   
  
"Cadi's back," he responded. The rough toweling motion halted abruptly.   
  
"Really?" Obi said slowly, straightening, "Where is she?"   
  
"Changing," Anakin shrugged carelessly, only remotely aware of his Master's shift in mood.   
  
"Is she now," he said, mostly to himself. He began to dig out his credit cards, "Anakin, why don't you go out and buy us all some breakfast?" he dangled the card in front of the boy's face. He received a skeptic look.   
  
"Why should I? We can just have room service bring something up."   
  
"Because I'm asking you to, go on!" he booted the lad off the bed and out the door, shoving the credit card into the pocket of his tunic.   
  
Eventually Anakin made himself scarce. Obi padded barefoot across the room to the tiny changing chamber and slapped the panel. He found Cadi in a simple white bathrobe, just getting ready to leave.   
  
"Hey love," she whispered and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. It was in that instant that Obi felt the first true, cold stab of jealousy go through him.   
  
"Where were you last night?" he let her pass, his forever-changing eyes following her to the bed.   
  
"I- um- I couldn't leave," she stammered, "he didn't go to sleep until a couple hours ago." She smoothed the sheets, not looking at him, and began to make herself comfortable.   
  
"You're lying," he accused, "you don't have to lie to me," he added more sensitively, sitting beside her. She turned to avoid his gaze. He walked around to the other side of the bed so she was forced to look at him. "Tell me what's the matter," he pleaded.   
  
She regarded him with tired eyes. Cadi marveled at the body that he'd never let get out of shape. Every rippling muscle, every taut tendon was just as defined as it had been ten, even fifteen years ago. She wondered how he was so naturally void of age. "Nothing," she answered at last, "nothing's wrong. It's been a long night, I need some sleep." She knew he wouldn't accept the answer, but she could not tell him the truth. Slowly Obi leaned down to rest against her; he peered at her intently.   
  
"I don't want you to sleep with him," he said gravely, "it's killing you."   
  
She sat up abruptly, "You promised me," she accused, "you promised you wouldn't get jealous."   
  
"Cadi, please-" he began.   
  
"I have to," she insisted, "for the sake of the mission."   
  
"Forget the mission!" he retorted impulsively, "Let's leave this place, right now!"   
  
"Obi," she admonished, "no. Not when I'm this close to getting the information we need."   
  
"It's not worth it, Cadi," he said quietly.   
  
"I'm going, Kenobi," she said finally. Obi opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment the door slid open and Anakin strolled in. Cadi tossed the blankets over her head and put herself in a trance.   
  
Anakin paused with his buy in his hands, glancing between his Master and the lump beneath the sheets. Obi-Wan did not look happy, "Did I miss something?" he asked cautiously.   
  
"Nothing of your concern," his Master bit out. Then he stopped himself, sighed heavily, and reached for the bags, "Sorry. What did you buy?"   
  
"Good stuff," Anakin elaborated, a smug smile on his face. Obi opened the bag-   
  
"Donuts?" he said incredulously.   
  
"Well it's not like you gave me a grocery list," the Padawan replied, somewhat miffed.   
  
Obi dug one of the sticky-sweet pastries out and downed it, "Wise choice," he said with a chocolate grin. Anakin beamed, leave it to his Master…   
  
"Will Cadi be joining us?" he asked spontaneously. He saw Obi-Wan's face go sour.   
  
"She needs her rest," he replied, as void of emotion as possible.   
  
"Snooze you lose," the boy said matter-of-factly as he swiped out a donut for himself. 


	3. Above All Things I Believe in Love

*3*   
  
Anakin knew full well when something was amiss between his Master and Cadi. After ten years of observing their relationship, sometimes he even knew it before they did.   
Obi-Wan had gone off to a comm station to make contact with Council, so Anakin was left alone in the hotel room with a sleeping Cadi. There was nothing interesting on the hotel's limited holonet channels, nor was there anything else around to dedicate his attention to. Bored beyond belief, he decided to launch himself onto Cadi's bed, rattling the entire frame with the impact.   
"That was cute when you were ten," the woman grumbled.   
"Soooooooooowwwwyyyyyyy," he drawled boyishly, "but I'm super bored. Wanna talk?"   
"Do I have a choice?"   
"Not really."   
"Okay then, what are you so desperate to talk about that you had to disturb my slumber?" she turned to face the boy.   
"You and Master," he replied eagerly.   
"Oh no," Cadi rolled her eyes, "Not gonna go there."   
"Oh yes we are!" the grin widened, "I want to know what happened this time."   
"I don't know what you're talking about," the elder Jedi said indignantly.   
"Like hell you don't!" he screeched.   
"Hey!" she delivered a firm bop to his cranium, "Little boys should not be meddling in the affairs of adults," she said snootily, suppressing a smile.   
"I am *not* a little boy anymore," he pointed out, "I want to help."   
"I sincerely doubt that," she said skeptically, pretending to fall back asleep.   
"Come on!" he whined.   
"Stubborn boy," she commented, then considered, "I'll have to swear you to secrecy."   
"I triple pinky swear that what is discussed in this room shall never be discussed again with anyone, ever!" he recited dutifully; he knew the drill.   
"Deal," she sealed it, "You've got ten questions, use them wisely."   
"We could start with what happened."   
Cadi's eyes unfocused to the past so she could retell the tale, "Your Master believes I am keeping something from him, thus he wants me to forsake the mission."   
"Are you?" he raised his eyebrows, interested.   
"Am I what?"   
"Question Number Two: are you keeping something from Obi-Wan?" he asked formally. Cadi had tricked him out of questions like that before.   
"Yes," was all she allowed.   
"What are you keeping from him?" Anakin wondered if he really wanted to know. The older woman regarded him for a long moment, then sighed deeply.   
"Ready to listen?" she asked. Anakin gave a nod. She sighed again and began, "I've never been to Nar Shadaa before, this was my first time."   
"Uh-huh," he replied, not seeing where she was going with this.   
"Ani," she said seriously, "did it ever cross your mind as to why it took me a week to begin working with the Hutts?"   
"I've thought about it," he admitted.   
"Well, the first night I got here, I was hospitalized-"   
"Force! What happened?" his eyes widened.   
"I nearly died," she went on, "the meds told me when I regained consciousness that there is a virus on Nar Shadaa-"   
"Of course there are viruses on Nar Shadaa. There are viruses everywhere!"   
"Do you want to know what happened or not?" she asked, mild annoyance in her voice.   
"Yeah, sorry, continue," he pressed quickly.   
"As I was saying, there is a virus on Nar Shadaa to which the inhabitants have been long since immune. It turns out it is the same virus that wiped out my planet twenty years ago," she paused, letting her words sink in.   
"Twenty years ago was when Council-"   
"Found me," she finished for him, "my parents had sealed me up in a cave ten years prior, when the first epidemics were beginning. I was the only one left when the Jedi came. And because I was the only one, and the bodies were all too decomposed to autopsy, they had no idea as to which virus had killed them all."   
"I never knew," Anakin said, astounded.   
"Neither does your Master," she said firmly.   
"So you were never immunized," he thought out loud.   
"They couldn't immunize me, they didn't know what to immunize me against," she said distantly, "and now- it got me."   
It took a few minutes for Ani to realize what she was really saying. But then he looked at her with worried eyes and asked in a small voice, "You're dying?"   
"I'm already supposed to be dead," she said matter-of-factly, "I broke out of the hospital that night, determined to not let anyone know. I've been fighting it internally with the Force ever since." The boy said nothing. "You've got five questions left," she prodded.   
"The only question that crosses my mind is why," he answered after a while, "why don't you seek help?"   
Now that question Cadi had to consider. "I guess it is my dedication to the Force," she said, "I will complete my final mission, and then leave this life as the Force wills."   
"You're so certain about it," he commented, a slight twinge of bitterness in his tone. For all these years, Cadi had been- kind of a big sister figure to him- at times even something like a mother.   
"I am a Jedi," she replied, "and for the Jedi, there is no emotion; there is peace."   
"You've got to tell Master," he commanded, "it's only fair."   
She shook her head gently, "He must not know."   
"Why?" he demanded, anger coming quickly to him.   
"He will fight for me," she explained.   
"Like he fought for Qui-Gon," he responded in understanding. Obi-Wan had already lost so much in his life. Anakin realized that if his Master were to have any previous knowledge of Cadi's illness, he would later blame himself for her inevitable death. "I understand," he told her, "but I think if you're not going to tell him, you should make the best of what time you have left."   
Cadi smiled admirably, "And how do you suggest I do that, Casanova?"   
"I'm guessing Master told you about Padme and me," he replied dryly, "and I don't know. Try to use your imagination."   
"Try not," she reminded; it was not necessary to recite the rest of Yoda's classic chide. Sitting up, she wrapped him in a sweet embrace, "Take care of him, Ani," she asked, a slight mist glazing her eyes.   
"I will," he promised, returning the hug.   
"Shh," she warned abruptly, scooting back down under the sheets, "he's coming."   
"He's already sensed that you're awake," he informed her, stretching out to that back door of his Master's mind that only he had access to.   
"Okay," she said, thinking fast, "then pretend you're waking me up." Quickly she tossed the blanket over her head and balled up.   
Obi strolled in right then, and Anakin assumed his role just in time. Shaking Cadi, he turned to acknowledge his Master's entrance.   
"What did the Council say?" he asked casually.   
"The Council said," Obi announced loudly, "that you and I will be joining Cadi, undercover of course, at the banquet this evening." He was referring to an honorary banquet that all the head Hutts would be attending; Cadi had wiggled her way deep enough into the workings of the Nar Shadaa operations that she would be accompanying her particular Hutt.   
"What?" Anakin and Cadi responded in unison, the latter popping straight up.   
"They want us there because an assassination attempt is expected," he explained calmly.   
"Posing as what?" Cadi's brow furrowed.   
"Your pimps."   
"You can't be serious," she stated.   
"Master Windu gave the orders with a straight face," he shrugged. "Now," he continued, "Ani, we need a new wardrobe for the evening."   
"Consider me already gone," the boy stood up.   
"You don't have to go alone," Obi said inquisitively.   
"That's okay," the younger assured, "I know your measurements, and a nice solitary walk would do me some good," he threw a glance at Cadi.   
"If you insist," Obi conceded, handing him the credits card. The boy made his way out the door. Obi-Wan turned his attention to Cadi and gave her a quizzical look, "What was that all about?"   
She shrugged indifferently, "Cabin fever?" she suggested. Obi-Wan gave a thoughtful "Hmm" and sat down on the bed.   
"I'm sorry if I've been difficult lately," she apologized voluntarily.   
"It's okay," he replied instantly, "I shouldn't let my feelings interfere with your work."   
"I know it hurts," she admitted, a strange, afflicted twinge in her voice. He stretched out backwards, coming to rest his head on her torso. She ran her fingers through his hair soothingly.   
"You are so dear to me," he sighed, "I swear if anything were to happen to you-"   
"Shh," she silenced him, guilt choking her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, but then she got up. "I've got to start getting ready."   
"Now?" he asked skeptically, "We've got six hours before the banquet!"   
"Hey," she retorted defensively, "You wanna wear the dress?"   
"Never mind," a coy smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.   
"I thought so," she said victoriously, slipping into the 'fresher.   
  
***   
  
It took a while, but eventually Anakin found the perfect attire for his Master and himself. Expensive-looking, ultra-shiny combat boots, sharp gray trousers, functional yet fashionable holster belts, topped with prodigious black blazers. They would look like a pair of marked-up lowlifes- perfect. Satisfied with his find, he headed to the cashier.   
And he could not stifle a tortured groan when he saw the line. It went up the stairs, down the escalator, and three times around the checkout point. Anakin began his search for the back of the line; it looked like he was going to be here for a while… 


	4. One Day I'll Fly Away

*4*   
  
It took some time, but after much tugging, tucking, pulling (gently), centering, re-centering, buttoning, unbuttoning, zipping and unzipping- Cadi had gotten the dress to fit just right. She stepped carefully out of the changing chamber.   
"Well *that* took a millenium!" Obi exclaimed, but as he sat up to look at her his breath caught in his throat.   
"What?" she said self-consciously, "What did I forget to zip? Button?" she began rechecking everything.   
"No, it's not that," he assured her quickly, "You look- like an angel."   
"Oh please," she waved his compliment off, "the white must be blinding you." The dress was indeed a shimmering white, reaching down to her toes with tiny sparkling diamonds decorating it. The top was tight, stiff and strapless; it clung to her, ending in a V-shape just below the waist. The bottom was soft like gauze and more flexible, flowing down easily from hip to toe. She stood in front of the mirror and started to brush out her wet hair.   
"I'm serious, all you need is wings," he mused, stepping around the bed to stand behind her.   
"If I had wings, I could fly away," she pointed out as his arms entwined around her hips.   
"Just so long as you take me with you," he whispered, his head resting in the bend of her neck.   
"And what if I couldn't?" they began to sway back and forth a little.   
"Then I would just have to sprout wings of my own, wouldn't I?" he pressed his lips to her shoulder. Cadi shut her eyes to fight down her tears, for soon she would be flying away- on the wings of Death- and Obi would be left behind.   
His kisses persisted. "Hey," she grasped his hands, but he shook them free, "I just got into this dress."   
"Whoever said you had to get out of it?" he replied breathlessly, intent on his work.   
"Obi!" she stifled a giggle as his hands slid up her skirt, "You know sometimes I think you are the devil in disguise," she grinned fiendishly.   
"Sometimes you may be right, my angel," he moaned softly.   
"But Anakin!" she warned, nevertheless turning around to loosen up his tunic.   
"He'll be gone for hours," he assured, eagerness in his voice.   
"How do you know?" she persisted, her lips caressing his collarbone.   
"He's stuck in line," he explained, propping her up on the vanity.   
"We shouldn't," she argued still as she stripped off his tunic completely.   
"Why not?" he dotted her arm with kisses.   
"You act like I haven't done this enough lately," she hiked her dress up.   
"Unfortunately, you have- but this" he delivered a deep, passionate kiss, "this is the real thing."   
Their minds locked, sensual feelings of love and pleasure mingling within each other on a private bond in the Force. Instantly Cadi gasped loudly as she felt his mind latch onto hers. It made her realize just how much these past two weeks had made her yearn for that kind of mental connection. They made love like there was no tomorrow. What Obi-Wan did no know that… for Cadi… there wouldn't be.   
  
***   
  
3 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds- that was how long it took. 3 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds of standing, bundle of clothes in hand, in line with about 500 other shoppers. Needless to say, Anakin was not in the best mood by the time he got to the cashier.   
"Ring it up," he commanded.   
"Aren't the Jedi supposed to have the utmost patience and reserve?" the juvenile clerk looked him up and down.   
"Not when standing in line for five hours waiting to pay a senseless amount of money for cheap clothes!" he snapped, shoving the credit card across the high counter.   
"Temper, temper," slowly the clerk folded each item of clothing, slowly she swiped the credit card, slowly she bagged everything, slowly she handed him the bag. Anakin snatched it and sped out the door- time was wearing down.   
  
***   
  
"What time is it?" Cadi asked dreamily.   
"Does it matter?" Obi lay with his hands laced behind his head, basking in the afterglow of their activities.   
"I wish it didn't," begrudgingly she sat up and began to fix herself.   
"Oh no you don't!" Obi grinned, jumping up to catch her and pull her back down into bed with him.   
"Come on!" she pretended to be annoyed, "I really need to get ready."   
"You're not getting away that easily," the grin widened. Cadi sighed deeply, dropping her resistance. They lay there for a while, slowly Obi-Wan relaxed his hold on her.   
"No fair," she mock-complained.   
"You know you love it," he replied smugly.   
"True," she snuggled in closer for a moment and closed her eyes. She halted a cough that was creeping at her windpipe. It hurt to breathe, Cadi thought she could even feel her organs shutting down, preparing to stop completely. She was short of time. She got back up and started fixing her hair.   
"Party pooper," Obi teased, though he got up to dress himself. Cadi opened her mouth to retort, but that cough she'd thought she fought down seized her. She started choking uncontrollably. Obi sprang from the bed and grabbed her worriedly, "What happened?" her face turned red as she struggled for air, "Cadi? Breathe!"   
With great effort she forced her lungs back to normality. That was it, she couldn't deny her illness anymore.   
"You need a med," he stated, already reaching for his comlink.   
"There's no time," she managed to say, quickly moving the link from his reach.   
"You are not well," he argued intensely.   
"I'll be fine," she insisted coldly.   
"Why are you being so stubborn about this?" his eyes pleaded with her.   
"You worry too much."   
"You're never sick and now suddenly your skin is pale, you're weak, shivering and coughing. So yes, I think I have cause to worry," he stated.   
"Listen, my wary one," she quoted gently, "it is far too late to unlove each other. Instead, let's cook something elaborate and not invite anyone to share it, but eat it all up very slowly," she gave him a kiss on the forehead, holding his troubled stare and sending the best waves of reassurance she could render. He swallowed hard.   
"I don't like this," he made sure she knew. She didn't have time to respond, though, because Anakin returned at that very second. Instead, Cadi resumed her previous task of fixing her hair.   
"You two need names," she pointed out as she worked her long black tresses into wavy patterns.   
"Nice work, Anakin," Obi complimented as he leafed through his new outfit.   
"I'm glad you like them, because if you didn't, well, I would've done something evil, I think," the boy laughed easily.   
"I guess I'll be…Ben," Obi contemplated as he started to change.   
"And I'll be, er, how's Scott sound?" Anakin put in.   
"Last names," Cadi reminded.   
"Oh right, um, Barringer? Yeah, Scott Barringer, that sounds pretty scummy, doesn't it?" he decided.   
"Okay, so Scott Barringer and Ben-?"   
"Hopper," Obi decided.   
"Good picks," Cadi commended, "And be careful not to call me Cadi when we're there. They know me as Phyre. Ani, you should get changed too, we'll have to leave soon." 


	5. Come What May

*5*   
  
For crude, corrupted, slimy slugs- the banquet was actually pretty nice. The room was vast and decadent, though in a tasteful way. They had good food for the most part, music, and those who wore clothes were dressed to the nines.   
  
"Nice place for an assassination," Obi commented as the three of them entered.   
  
"//Good evening, Phyre. Who are these men?//" the alien's eyes looked the two up and down.   
  
"These are my associates, Ben Hopper and Scott Barringer," she introduced as the Hutt took her arm.   
  
"//I see. Judging from my experience with Phyre, your brothels must be quite popular, gentlemen//" the slug complimented.   
  
"Aye, Phyre has always been a favorite of our customers," Obi replied in a rough yet proud voice, "I had to put one of the girls in charge of scheduling in order to attend this fine party you've got here."   
  
"We're hoping she can handle the number of calls coming in," Anakin added.   
  
"//That busy huh? Tell me about your recruiting and training methods for the girls, they must be excellent for you to be getting such business.//"   
  
"Indeed they are," Anakin improvised as Obi's eyes scanned over the people in the room. As of yet he could sense no particularly evil intentions, but they were among professional criminals…   
  
Then there it was, like a shining beacon out of a cloudy sky. A tall Rodian, presently by the bar, was holding the intention of assassinating the head Hutt. Their only problem now was they wouldn't know when he was going to do until a split second ahead of time. Slowly Obi-Wan made his way around the room to examine their subject more closely.   
  
he sent out,   
  
they came back.   
  
he got even closer and attuned his hearing to what the alien was saying…   
  
"//…we will strike when the time is right,//" he was assuring his associate, most likely accomplice. The three Jedi could sense the anxiety between the two, it would not be long now. Anakin rotated inconspicuously to better flank the Hutt with whom he was holding conversation- his lightsaber would have more space to maneuver from the new angle. Cadi moved slightly closer to the obese alien and began to erect a Force bubble around them.   
  
Then it came. Obi had less than a flicker of intuition before it happened, but that was all he needed. In an instant three lightsabers were out from their hiding places, ignited and at ready, just in time to deflect the sudden blaster bolts fizzling through the air. The Hutt was protected well enough, and without much delay its own bodyguards appeared. The problem was the defense was attacking the wrong people. The swarm of bulky guards turned the muzzles of their guns on the Jedi- they were drastically outnumbered.   
  
With effortless expertise Obi, Ani and Cadi sliced through their opponents like butter. The defense and assassins had weapons of all sorts, but the Jedi had the Force. Each of them took on two or three at a time, blocking and parrying.   
  
"Call them off!" Cadi yelled above the gunshots.   
  
"//You think I'm going to trust you after you pull a lightsaber out of your garter?//" fear and anger crossed the flat face.   
  
"Do you want to be on the other end of the blade?" she retorted between grinding teeth as she faced the three before her. The assassins were long dead, but the confusion as to who the enemy was had turned the banquet into pure chaos. All the guests, or rather, all the guests' bodyguards, were attacking pretty much anything in sight, especially the Jedi.   
  
Cadi was too busy with her five armed opponents to see a short Twil'lek girl pull a dagger from her cuff. Anakin caught the brief glint of it in his eye, had only a millisecond to realize what it was. He quickly elbowed and tripped his opponents to buy himself a second's time to call to her and Obi-Wan through the Force. They both heard him, Obi-Wan risking a glance and Cadi twisting to avoid the first swipe.   
  
She avoided the first strike, and the second, and the third- but another of her opponents realized the Twil'lek's goal, and forced Cadi into a stance that left her torso open from behind. The Twil'lek was quick; she made a rapid thrust, making a puncture in Cadi's lower left lung.   
  
"No!" Obi's scream could be heard through the whole building. With new, fervent speed he finished off his remaining obstacles and started to make his way across the room to her. Anakin took the liberty of intercepting anything that blocked his Master's path.   
  
The room suddenly grew quiet. Fighting slowed, and was soon at an end. Cadi was gripping the rope of a nearby tapestry, trying to stay on her feet. Had she been at her normal level of health, the wound would have been nothing. But now, it was all the virus within her needed to complete its task.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Obi-Wan got to her. Gently he pried her pale, defiant fingers from the rope and sat down on the floor with her in his arms. He felt her body rattling for breath, her lips were colorless, the light of her eyes slowly flickering out.   
  
"You're okay, you're okay," he chanted over and over, "you'll be alright, I- I'll take care of you."   
  
"It's too late, Obi," she whispered back.   
  
"No," he shook his head violently, "it's not bad, we'll get a doctor- and-" he looked up with frantic eyes, "Will somebody get a doctor!" he screamed.   
  
"Shhh," she touched her cold, shaky fingertips to his face, "it's too late now," she heaved for air, "I'm dying, Obi-Wan." She went into a violent fit of coughs, her eyes glazing with lack of oxygen. He clutched her tightly, tried to concentrate all his warmth and strength into her. The coughing subsided, she dropped her head in exhaustion.   
  
A terrible, dark dab of blood stained her pale lips. With a sheer look of horror and disbelief Obi touched his finger to it, stared at the angry red spot it left on his skin. In that instant all his control, all his careful Jedi training, left him. He felt his lip start to quiver.   
  
"No, Cadi!" he whimpered, "I can't go on-"   
  
"But you will," she rasped, "you will, Obi-Wan. You've got so much to give…" Obi felt her start to go limp, the last flicker of light fading from her eyes. He pressed his lips tightly to hers, grasped her hand in his, squeezed it hard.   
  
She did not squeeze back. He pulled away to search her eyes. There was no life there- that glowing sheen he'd always known, he'd always loved, was replaced by empty darkness. He brought her close to him again.   
  
"No, please no," he shut his eyes tight, buried his face in her hair, "I love you," he whispered into her ear.   
  
Suddenly he felt a soft touch through the Force, one rapidly gaining strength, in the very back of his mind- and his heart.   
  
/I love you/ it whispered.   
  
"Cadi?" he moaned softly. And at that moment he let go of whatever restraint he had left, and he cried. He rocked back and forth, never letting go of her, sobbing uncontrollably.   
  
Anakin padded softly up to him, dropped on his knees to the floor beside his Master. He squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder, who relaxed his hold on Cadi to let him look at her. The young man reached for her hand, felt the cold weightlessness of her fingers…   
  
Abruptly Anakin stood up and unhooked his lightsaber from his belt and threw it to the ground. Without a word he stomped off across the ballroom and within moments had pulled the Twil'lek girl from her hiding place. He dragged her out roughly, then stood her up against the tapestry Cadi had been clutching only moments ago. She cursed and spit in his face, Anakin responded with a blow to her head that could be heard around the room.   
  
"Anakin!" Obi shouted in shock, "Stop!"   
  
But the boy seemed unable to hear him. With thoughtless efficiency he bound her arms and legs with the dangling ropes of the tapestry. Then he took a step back from her. One of her colleagues stormed him, but his lightsaber was in his hand and through the opponent in the blink of an eye. No one else dared stop him. Breathing hard, he clenched one hand. The Twil'lek started gasping for air as the sound of her throat being crushed seemed to ring through the room.   
  
Within seconds it was over, the young alien hung limp and very dead. Anakin leaned toward her to retrieve her dagger from her cuff. Adjusting his grip once or twice, he drew his arm back-   
  
To feel his wrist grabbed firmly. He spun around to find the tear-streaked face of his Master. The boy gritted his teeth and lurched to pull free, but Obi's grip was steadfast. Anakin cried out and kept trying, the tears flowing freely from his eyes. Working himself into hysterics, he finally let the knife drop to the floor and fell into Obi-Wan's embrace.   
  
"Help me carry her," the elder asked in a hoarse whisper. Anakin sniffled and gave a nod. 


	6. The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn

*Epilogue*   
  
*"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return"*   
  
I remember when Master Yoda had said that to us. I, blinded by grief, as I probably am right now, had been on the verge of destroying everything. It seems so long ago- that night… that was the last time I had lost someone.   
  
This time I didn't have to do anything. This time…   
  
This time a force blacker than jealousy, and stronger than love…   
  
Took her away from me.   
  
Now, gazing unblinking into her pyre, I know that any happiness I could have had…is dead.   
  
She said I have so much to give, but with her gone, to whom?   
  
To Anakin…my apprentice. Anakin, who killed in vengeance…in anger…in hate. Will I lose him, too?   
  
He has not spoken since that day, probably in awe…or fear…of his actions. Now I see the fire reflecting in his desolate eyes, it fills the vacancy left by innocence irretrievable. He cared for her, perhaps more than I had perceived before.   
  
But I loved- no- I *love* her, I always will love her. And she will never leave me. In the flames, I see everything that we had…   
  
The first night she arrived at the Temple- the first time we met- the first time my eyes locked with hers…that first kiss- so sweet and spontaneous…the first time she let me take her hand to hold in mine…   
  
The first time I had to leave her- how hard it was- she was so strong for me…   
  
When I came back from Naboo- how she never gave up on me, even though I in my blindness tried to push her away…   
  
Only two more weeks and it would've been our 20th anniversary…   
  
I long for sleep, though it has yet to come to me, I know it will bring visions of her- I believe in them, I believe in the Force, I believe in her.   
  
And above all things, I believe in love.   
  
*The End* 


End file.
